Metro To Talk Purple Line Construction Noise, Vibration Along Mid-Wilshire

Once completed, the Purple Line will run along Wilshire Boulevard from Westwood to Koreatown. (Photo credit: Metro.net)

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Residents in the Mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles will get a chance to hear from Metro officials Tuesday on planned construction for a subway extension.

As part of its first advisory group meeting, Metro staff will provide an overview of the Purple Line Extension that will run underneath one of the most-densely populated areas in California.

Topics likely to be discussed include anticipated construction-related noise and vibration as 3.9 miles of street are ripped apart and tunneled beneath, and an upcoming pre-construction survey between the Wilshire/Western station and La Cienega Boulevard.

The area expected to be impacted includes multistory residential and commercial buildings and runs from Western Avenue in Koreatown west down the Miracle Mile to La Cienega Boulevard in eastern Beverly Hills.

With about $2.1 billion in federal loans and grants, Metro officials plan to build three stations along Wilshire at La Brea, Fairfax and La Cienega. The stations will be built using so-called “cut-and-cover” construction, where large rectangular pits will be dug and finished as street traffic is maintained on temporary decks above.

Similar construction methods were used on Hollywood Boulevard and Vermont Avenue during the construction of the Red Line in the 1990s.

Construction along Wilshire is expected to start later this year and trains are scheduled to depart Western Avenue by 2023.

Tuesday night’s meeting will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Petersen Automotive Museum at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard, which is located across the street from the site of the new Wilshire/Fairfax station.